Conklin Lake

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4.8/5 (6 reviews)
Island Park, Montana (Beaverhead County)
Last Updated: 07/30/2023

Trail Information

Highlights

Conklin Lake Trail is one of those trails that hardly anyone knows with beautiful views of Hidden Lake and the surrounding mountains. This trail is located in the Beaverhead National Forest near the Continental Divide and the Montana Idaho border, and close to the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park. In July, the wildflowers are in full bloom, making the grassy fields full of color and swaying like ocean waves in the wind. Over the fields are snow-capped mountain peaks, birds, grasshoppers, and the famous Montana "Big Sky."

Trail Difficulty and Assessment

Trail Navigation

Trail Reviews

4.8/5 (6)
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Official Crew
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36700
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 07/29/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

The rocky section at Waypoint 7 always seems worse at first glance, but looking at the original trail pics, maybe not. Still a fun trail with great views, no changes to mention. A suggestion for routing, we stayed straight at Waypoint 14 and took Deer Mountain Trail to Lone Tree Pass and on to the Continental Divide Trail. The views from Deer Moutain of the Centennial Mountains and Valley, the Red Rock Lakes, and the streams that snake through the valley were fantastic.
Trail Review: Conklin Lake - Cory Wooldridge
Trail Review: Conklin Lake - Cory Wooldridge
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Official Crew
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36700
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 07/04/2022
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

The wet winter and spring eroded more of the obstacle at Waypoint 7. Plenty of traction, but quite a bit rockier and rutted than the previous year. Tall green grass, gorgeous wildflowers, and lake views- we love this trail.
Trail Review: Conklin Lake - Cory Wooldridge
Trail Review: Conklin Lake - Cory Wooldridge
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Open
Rated 4/5
Visited: 05/15/2022
Difficulty Accuracy: Harder

We ran this in our 2011 Jeep Wrangler JK Sport with 4” lift, 35’s, and 5.13 gears. We tried accessing the epic camping spot with the elevated lake view but the road was extremely worn out due to excessive water runoff from snow melting and rain. I believe we could have made it but since we were alone with no cell service we opted to play it safe. We did try to go around to the other side of the trail and run it backwards but also could not get there due to extremely deep snow and mud. The views on this trail are absolutely gorgeous though and what parts we could access we were awestruck with the beauty.
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Official Crew
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36700
Open
Visited: 09/14/2021

The Goose Fire area closure order was rescinded on October 7th, allowing the reopening of the following trails: Cliff Lake Bench Conklin Lake East Bench Elk Lake Jackknife Jackpine Gulch South Bench The condition of the affected trails is unknown and will be updated soon.
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Official Crew
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36700
Temporary Closure
Rated 5/5
Visited: 07/11/2021

Due to the Goose Fire, the following trails have been temporarily closed: Conklin Lake Elk Lake Road beyond Elk Lake to Hidden Lake is closed Jackpine Gulch Jackknife Cliff Lake Bench South Bench East Bench EDIT: Updated closure map July 16, 2021 Currently, the West Fork Madison River is the edge of the closure area. More info on the closure can be found here: Goose Fire Closure Order
Trail Review: Conklin Lake - Cory Wooldridge

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